


Of Photographs and Iron Hearts

by boats_birds



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Memories, Seirin Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 11:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4346183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boats_birds/pseuds/boats_birds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But Kiyoshi shouted the loudest. Because he loved this team. So much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Photographs and Iron Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Seirin Week's Day 2 prompt: Memories. This took way too long to write, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out. It's definitely odd for me to be writing so many characters, and I'm not sure if I did them justice, but I hope it's still enjoyable!

“Hey, Iron Heart! You know, this would be a lot easier if you were paying attention!”

Kiyoshi sighed and stared down at the back of Hyuuga’s head, pouting. “Hyuuga, I thought I said not to call me that.”

Hyuuga glared over his shoulder before quickly facing forward again. “I wouldn’t call you that if you’d pay attention!”

“But, Hyuuga, you’re the one who’s stalling.” A hurt look crossed his face and he grabbed at Hyuuga’s shoulders. “Do you not trust me after all?”

His shoulders, strong from carrying the burdens of the team as captain, stiffened, his eyes refusing to glance back at Kiyoshi. All around them, their teammates took turns falling backwards into the other’s arms, flailing and shrieking before being caught with a laugh. Koganei was the only who didn’t hesitate, easily flopping back against Mitobe and then running to another team member, his only warning a loud, “ _Trust fall!_ ” before throwing himself back against his victim of choice.

It was Riko’s idea to have them do trust fall exercises, said it would build their faith in each other and it’d help build their teamwork. So far they were doing pretty well, eyes squeezed shut as they leaned back hesitatingly, then opening in relief when a solid hold kept them from hitting the ground and a possible concussion. After catching all of the underclassmen and Koganei’s surprise attack, Kiyoshi had to say, it was a lot of fun.

Hyuuga suddenly snapped, “It’s not about trust! Accidents can happen, you know? I mean, look at Kagami!”

Kiyoshi gazed over to the tall redhead, then immediately started laughing. Kagami was currently falling backwards, arms wheeling and knees bent awkwardly as Kuroko tried his best to push his heavy weight back up. Kuroko’s legs were trembling with his effort, sneakers slipping with a squeak across the floor, and Kiyoshi knew it wasn’t going to end well.

There was a strained, “Kagami-kun, you’re too heavy,” followed by a loud, “ _Kuroko, don’t you dare!_ ” before they both fell in a heap on the gym floor with a thud.

Hyuuga pointed. “See? Kagami trusted and look where it got him!”

Kiyoshi wiped away a stray tear with his fingers, still chuckling under his breath as Kagami cursed and Kuroko flailed underneath him. “Maybe that’s true, but Kuroko technically caught him.”

“Kuroko technically fell to the floor!”

He smiled, fond and innocent, and a shudder ran up Hyuuga’s spine. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to trust you then.”

“…Kiyoshi, _no_ —”

They both turned at the same time, Kiyoshi just in time to lean all his weight backwards and Hyuuga just in time to try to catch said weight. Kiyoshi was caught in a shaky hold, Hyuuga yelling, “ _Dammit, what did I just say?!_ ” before they both flopped to the ground. Hyuuga was still yelling and cursing, struggling to free himself from underneath Kiyoshi, while all their teammates ran to them with laughs and helping hands.

But Kiyoshi laughed the most, because he loved this team.

 

* * *

 

“Teppei, we’re getting ready to head back in.”

Kiyoshi glanced up at Riko, soft in the pink of the sunset, then patted the sand next to where he sat. “Why don’t we wait just a little longer?”

She tilted her head, but sat down beside him anyways, arms wrapped around her knees in the chill of the ocean tide. They probably should have went in before now, the temperature dropping and the ocean spray frigid cold, but the sky had blurred into a pastel rainbow, the sun dipping low in the horizon, and it was their last night here. It was all so beautiful, in a way that stole Kiyoshi’s breath.

The rest of the team was scattered across the beach, playing and relaxing in one of the rare moments of free time that they had. Tsuchida and Furihata were building an elaborate sandcastle over top of Kuroko, who was buried underneath a pile of sand, while Nigou yipped and ran around them. The rest of the team was caught up in a game of volleyball, whooping and yelling as Kagami jumped nearly high enough to clear the net with his spike.

“Is your knee still okay? You’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you?”

He blinked, surprised, then laughed, quiet in the hush of the tide. “I’m fine, I’m fine! You’re doing well, Riko. With everyone, I’ve told you that before.”

She rested her chin on her knees. “I know, but I still worry about it.” She paused, cheeks lightly flushing. “I worry about everyone, and if I’m doing what’s best for all of you.”

Kiyoshi reached and rested a hand on the top of her head, ruffling the soft strands. Riko was always gentle under her tough coach exterior, caring and kind when she thought no one was looking. She took on so much, then gave even more than she took, all for them.

“You are,” he reassured. “We wouldn’t be the team we are without you.”

She looked over at him, brown eyes wide and swimming, then smiled. “Thank you, Teppei.”

“What are you guys talking about?!” Koganei asked as slid in beside them, followed closely by Mitobe and Izuki, before the rest of the team quickly shuffled in around them. Tsuchida and Furihata waited tensely as Kuroko tried to carefully dislodge himself from their castle, but then Kiyoshi almost heard the screams of terror in their heads as it collapsed anyways. After they mourned the loss of their sand architecture, they all had a seat around Kiyoshi and Riko, each one settling themselves in the sand.

“I was just saying how wonderful this team is,” he said fondly, staring back out into the sunset.

Everyone followed his gaze, and for a moment, an overwhelming sense of peace overcame him. They were all here, as a team, and they were all trying their best with each other, and he felt so small in the vastness of the sea, but with this team, he felt like they were bigger than the world. They were all smiling when they finally got up to go back inside, stars winking back from the ocean surface.

But Kiyoshi smiled the widest, because he loved this team.

 

* * *

 

“Kiyoshi-senpai, please excuse me.”

Kiyoshi peeked down at Kuroko, blue eyes wide and unblinkingly staring into his own. “Um, sure. Is everything alright, Kuroko?”

Kuroko quickly ducked behind him, hiding behind his taller frame. “Yes, everything’s fine. Please wait for just a moment.”

He waited, unsure of what to do or say and he kind of needed to use the bathroom. Just as he was about to ask what Kuroko was doing, Fukuda came skidding down the hall, panting. “ _Where is he?!_ ” Kiyoshi didn’t even get a chance to respond before he continued, “He ignite passed pillows at us, that’s clearly against pillow fighting rules!”

Kiyoshi chuckled good-naturedly, raising his hands in surrender. “I don’t think there are any pillow fighting rules, Fukuda, but I’m sure we can talk about this. Right, Kuroko?” He peered over his shoulder, only to blink in surprise. “Huh? Where’d he go?”

Kagami came stomping into the hallway outside their room next, fuming and glaring, pillow raised threateningly in his hand. Furihata and Kawahara came sliding in after, their own cotton-filled weapons at the ready. They looked like a small army. A very small and very fluffy army.

Kiyoshi thought he had heard a commotion going on in the room, but he also thought that was only natural given that all eleven boys were staying in one place. He didn’t realize that a witch hunt had been declared against Kuroko and that pillow fights were a serious matter.

“He’s not here, guys, let’s just all go back in the room,” he said, trying to keep the cotton bloodshed to a minimum. He stepped around them and slid the door open. “Besides it’s just a pillo—”

He was cut off by a pillow smacking right into his face, slowly sliding down before it slumped into the floor. Blinking, he gaped across the room where Kuroko was, palm raised in what was definitely the aftermath of an ignite pass. They stared at each other, neither one moving, and the rest of the team had gone silent in the room.

“Kagami,” he said, then held out his hand. “If you don’t mind?”

A familiar rectangle softness was placed in his palm, and he smiled. “As I was saying, it’s just a pillow fight.”

Then he threw the pillow across the room as hard as he could. Only for Kuroko to duck out of the way, causing it to smack Hyuuga right in the back of the head. He heard a squeak from one of the freshman behind him, then the crack of Hyuuga’s neck before the captain stood up, turning to him with a glint in his eye.

The next thing Kiyoshi knew, it was clutch time and complete chaos ensued. Pillows flew around the room with frightening speeds, people were smacked with them, and no one was safe, not even Nigou who darted between them all barking. They ran around the room in a panicked state, gathering what ammunition they could before launching back into the battle. Somewhere along the way, it devolved into shrieks and hollers, alliances were made, and the great pillow battle of the summer only ended when Riko ran in with a whistle, yelling for them all to shut up and that their training regime was doubled for tomorrow.

But Kiyoshi regretted it the least, because he loved this team.

 

* * *

 

“Kiyoshi! We need a latte and a cappuccino at table five!”

Kiyoshi nodded to Izuki and put on his most professional smile, then strutted from the counter to their little kitchen, where Kagami and Mitobe were inside frantically making drinks and food. He ignored the itchiness of the lace and how it was tucking into places it probably shouldn’t, and instead relayed the order inside before picking up the mocha for table three. Everyone else was darting around just as busy, shoes clacking against the floor and fabric swishing as they delivered drinks.

A maid café. Out of all the ideas for Riko to have, it just had to be a maid café.

They’d all hesitated when she first told them of her brilliant scheme, that happy sparkle in her eyes that they all knew meant she was up to no good. She even had _charts_ telling them about how much money they could potentially make, and how it could be used to buy those new uniforms they’d all been wanting. So they donned the lacy dresses, tied their aprons, and huddled in a circle for a team shout before opening their doors to the public.

“What if my girlfriend comes in?” Tsuchida mumbled as he passed. The poor boy had been worried about it all day, in between greeting people with a grin and a bow at the door.

Kiyoshi laid a hand on his shoulder. “Then you welcome her and bow with the biggest smile.”

“Kiyoshi, don’t joke around like that!”

He paused, then turned to his teammate with utmost seriousness. “I wasn’t joking, Tsuchida, that’s your job.”

He didn’t stay to hear Tsuchida’s whine before going to take care of another table. Honestly, he didn’t expect them all to be so _natural_ at this. Koganei was running around with that Cheshire grin, taking up orders and then sashaying away. When Izuki wasn’t making customers groan from puns, he was twirling through the café like he’d done this all his life. In fact, the only one who had trouble was Kuroko, mainly because he scared people when he seemingly popped out of nowhere to take their orders.

And Hyuuga, who was still walking around bowlegged and grumbling about how his tights were too far up his ass.

They were all in maid’s dresses, riding high on their thighs and fitting on their waist, but none of them seemed to mind. They kept the Winter Cup foremost in their thoughts, remembering the hotel accommodations they needed for training, the new uniforms that looked _so nice_ , and the budget for Kagami’s food intake. It drove them forward in their painful heels, and it was worth the itchy lace, too tight tights, and even the strange glances from passerby.

Then Furihata tripped over his own feet, two plates of food scattering across the floor before Furihata followed them in a crash. Mitobe peeked out from the kitchen, worriedly gesturing to his small teammate until Fukuda and Kawahara went over to help him up.

Izuki glanced at the scene in front of him, and Kiyoshi could practically see the lightbulb appear above his head, but he was too late in trying to stop him. “I guess Furihata wasn’t made to be a maid!”

Everyone within a ten foot radius groaned.

But Kiyoshi groaned the hardest, even though he loved this team.

 

* * *

 

“And then, she was never heard from _again_ …”

Kiyoshi blinked as Mitobe flinched from beside him, hiding his face underneath one of the blankets strewn about the apartment. He stopped petting Nigou and reached for the silent man, smacking his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Koganei flicked off his flashlight with an evil laugh, deep and echoing, and the room was thrown into darkness.

“Koganei-senpai, I don’t mean to be rude,” Furihata voiced from the pitch black, “but that wasn’t very scary at all.”

The light turned back on, casting eerie shadows across Koganei’s pout. “Aw, c’mon! That was totally scary!”

Hyuuga munched on another piece of popcorn. “Izuki’s puns are scarier than that.”

“No way! It was terrifying! Right, Mitobe?”

A tremble from under the blanket and then a hand peeked out to give him a thumbs up.

They’d all decided to have a sleepover at Kagami’s apartment, even though only a few of them could actually spend the night. It was cozy in the big living room, all of them piled around the floor and couch, blankets and pillows arranged into makeshift forts. It’d been Koganei’s idea to tell scary stories in the dark, much to Kagami’s horror and threats of kicking him out.

Kiyoshi glanced over at their ace, only to chuckle in amusement. The giant redhead was currently huddled behind Kuroko, curled in on himself as much as he could be so he could hide behind the smaller boy. Kiyoshi could swear he heard a mutter of, “She was _never_ heard from _again_. _And the phone call from no one_ ,” but then Kuroko was patting his head and shushing him.

Riko walked in, more snacks in hand, with a beaming grin on her face. “Okay, boys! I have all kinds of treats for you to pick from!”

They all froze, hesitating and guarded, as they watched her set a plate of chips and rice balls and other foods in front of them. Kawahara leaned out and sniffed at it carefully. “Do you think it’s safe?”

A small foot stomped on the floor as Riko put her hands on her hips, scowling at them all. “What’s that supposed to mean?! Of course, it’s safe! I know how to do this much!” She turned her doe eyes on Hyuuga, all sparkling and pitiful. “You’ll try some, won’t you, Hyuuga?”

He flushed and tried to shrink further back in his place on the couch. But her gaze still pinned him, piercing right through his captain’s guard to where he was weak, and he was trapped. “U-uh, yeah, sure. Yeah.”

Hyuuga cautiously reached out and took a rice ball, slowly taking a bite of it. He chewed and swallowed thickly, everyone waiting for his reaction. Then he took another bite. “Hey, it’s not bad.”

They all took that as a sign that it was safe, and each began to grab some of the snacks. They ate in peace and told more stories, even Mitobe while Koganei translated for him. Until Hyuuga passed out right into the floor. That was when they realized the true horror story had been inside with them all long, making snacks with protein powder and vitamins, no matter how many times they told her not to.

But Kiyoshi passed out with a grin, because he loved this team.

 

* * *

 

“Senpai, can you pass the soba?”

Kiyoshi had to ask Kagami to repeat his question, since his voice was so muffled with food, and it still took another repetition before he finally knew to pass him the noodles. “Make sure you don’t eat so much you get a stomachache, Kagami,” he scolded.

Kagami looked up from his food, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, and just nodded before diving back in.

They all sat together in the restaurant, having pushed two tables together to get everyone to fit. After all, it was their victory dinner, a celebration for finally becoming number one in Japan and winning the Winter Cup. Riko told them to order whatever they wanted, and they did, huge plates of food delivered to them before Kagami tried to devour them all singlehandedly.

It was so _joyous_ and so _happy_ around them, everyone’s excitement was practically contagious as they laughed and cheered around their food. Koganei wouldn’t stop trying to make a toast while Tsuchida talked him down from standing on the table. Even Mitobe seemed more excitable than usual, beaming at all of them. Kiyoshi smiled and took another bite of food, listening to the chatter and clamor around him.

“Oi! Listen up!”

Kiyoshi paused mid-bite, as did everyone else, stopping to turn their attention to Hyuuga. He wouldn’t meet their eyes, instead staring somewhere at the table with an emotion Kiyoshi couldn’t read.

“Listen,” he said again. “Tonight is… Tonight’s our last night as an actual team. Since Kiyoshi will be leaving tomorrow.”

A silence spread over the table, and Kiyoshi rushed to fix it. “Hyuuga! I told you not to say anything! This is a celebration, not a time to worry about something like that.”

“But,” he continued, and Kiyoshi was startled to find his eyes wet behind his glasses. “It’s not our final night! We’ll always be a team, no matter what. We won the Winter Cup, _together_. We did what everyone else said we couldn’t. We’re Seirin High, and we always will be. So,” he raised his glass of tea. “What do you say, guys? One last time, for now?”

They all raised their glasses around Kiyoshi, looking at him expectantly, and he was suddenly so overcome with emotions that he thought he'd choke on them. He glanced around at all the faces of his team members, of all the people that had supported him when he needed it and even when he didn’t, of all his family. He ducked his head and lifted his drink, and they all pretended that none of them were crying.

The cups all clinked together, with a loud shout of, “Seirin! _Fight!_ ”

But Kiyoshi shouted the loudest. Because he loved this team. So much.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, is everything alright? You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”

Kiyoshi looks up from the book and into green eyes. Alex watches him carefully, blonde hair moving with her soft smile as she pats his hand. He realizes that his eyes are misty and scrubs a hand over his face. “No, I’m fine. Just remembered something.”

Alex peeks over at his lap and her smile turns bittersweet. “I see,” she says, then pauses before pointing. “What happened during this one?”

Kiyoshi looks back at the photo album, filled with picture upon picture of their team. Ones that they’d taken themselves, ones that Riko snuck and took of them without them knowing, and their clippings from Basketball Monthly, holding trophies and medals after the Winter Cup. He finds the one she’s pointing to and laughs. “That’s when Riko decided we should try yoga to make our muscles more limber.”

He traces over the photos with his gentle fingers. Him and Hyuuga piled on the floor, while Kawahara is catching Tsuchida in the background. All of their backs, outlined by the pink of the sunset over the ocean. A blur of pillows, Kuroko launching one from the corner while taking cover behind Kagami. Izuki and Furihata posing with him in maid dresses while holding teacups. Koganei’s face outlined by a flashlight while Mitobe looks on in horror, Fukuda laughing beside him. Then all of them around two tables pushed together, including Nigou with his lolling tongue, everyone flashing peace signs and teary grins.

Alex interrupts his thoughts. “It’s a nice gift. You all have so many nice memories.”

“We do," he says. "I’m glad Riko gave this to me, I’ll probably be looking at it a lot in the hospital.”

“You’ll be back soon. It’ll be like you never left! And you can always video call them.”

Kiyoshi nods. “I know. After all, we’re a team.”

He closes the photo album as the plane begins to take off, reclining back in his seat and clutching the book for comfort. His eyes are still swimming as he looks out the window, at his world that he’s leaving behind. He thinks of his grandparents, and his favorite park, and the old basketball court, and the tree he napped under, and every face of Seirin, and all of the memories they share.

And then Kiyoshi smiles, because he loves his team more than anything, and he knows he’ll come back to them soon.


End file.
